This invention is concerned with a process for making low sulfur oil from sewage sludge.
The Bureau of Mines Report PB 203,669, entitled "Converting Organic Wastes to Oil", describes the reaction of carbon monoxide and water with various biological wastes containing cellulose, and other carbohydrates. These wastes include wood wastes (largely cellulose and liquid), sewage sludge and other urban wastes (mostly cellulose and other carbohydrates plus proteins and fats), and agricultural wastes such as cow manure. They have found that by reaction of these materials with CO and water a low sulfur oil can be produced.
One difficulty with this process as applied to sewage is that the sludge is so dilute that the reactor employed for the reaction of the CO and water with the sludge must be very large.